KNUT Condemns SRC Recommendations on ECDE Teachers’ Pay

Teachers’ union officials in Homa Bay County have condemned a recommendation by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to reduce the salaries for Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers by nearly 30 percent.

Speaking to the press in Homa Bay town Tuesday, the Kenya National Union of Teachers(KNUT) Homa Bay Branch Secretary Patrick Were said they were concerned over the plight of ECDE teachers whose salaries had been slashed.

He said that it was regrettable SRC had recommended the lowest ECDE teachers be paid a minimum salary of Sh7, 836 and a maximum of Sh8, 717 while the highest ECDE teachers should receive a minimum salary of Sh15,224 and a maximum of Sh19,090.

“Even the labor laws prescribe that the minimum wage for unskilled labour is not less than Sh10,000 per month. The rights of ECDE teachers must be protected,”  Were said.

On his part, Eliud Omburi who is the Executive Secretary, Rachuonyo branch said teachers must be respected because their services were highly essential. 

KNUT branch chairperson Dorcas Oguda demanded that the SRC recommendation be rescinded immediately.

“If we continue this way as a country then the teaching profession will be a forgotten case because teachers will opt out and go for other jobs,” she said.

George Oguda an ECDE employee said they had been engaged by Homa Bay county government on contract for over 8 years but were confirmed to have permanent and pensionable terms of service only last month.

“We went and borrowed loans to upgrade ourselves, take our children to school before our salaries were reduced thus some of us will be getting negative pay on the pay slip,” he said.

The teachers urged the Teachers’ Service Commission to employ them noting that the county governments were struggling financially and were ill-prepared to fund early childhood education.